The College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Hall of Fame 2017 inductees.
The West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences will induct five graduates into its 2017 Hall of Fame and name its Outstanding Alumnus on Friday, October 20, at the Erickson Alumni Center beginning with a reception from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and formal induction ceremony beginning at 7 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.
The College will honor Jean Irion with the Outstanding Alumna award. The 2017 Hall of Fame inductees include Cynthia “Sam” Booth, David “DC” Colt, John Gay, Daniel F. Mahony and Olana “Tick” Hedrick-Sheaffer.
Induction into the WVU CPASS Hall of Fame honors meritorious service in an academic discipline, coaching profession, athletic administration, or in athletic training and highlights the accomplishments of the College’s most distinguished alumni.
Dr. Jean Irion
Irion is currently chair and program director of
the Physical Therapy Program at Emory and Henry College in the School of Health
Sciences in Marion, Virginia. She graduated in 1979 from WVU with a degree in
Physical Education, General Science Education and Athletic Training. She has a
Master’s Degree in Athletic Training from Temple University and a Doctorate in
Higher Education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She is a
certified athletic trainer, licensed physical therapist and a Board Certified
Clinical Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy. She has served the American
Physical Therapy Association in various capacities during the past 25 years and
most recently as the chair of the American Board of Physical Therapy
Specialties. She also served as the chair of the inaugural Women’s Health
Specialty Council for ABPTS. In addition, she has been an active member of the
Section on Women’s Health and the Aquatic Physical Therapy Section of the APTA.
Irion has been in physical therapy education for more than 27 years and
continues clinical practice in sports PT, women’s health, occupational health
and aquatic therapy. Additionally, she has co-authored a women’s heath physical
therapy textbook with her husband, Dr. Glenn Irion.
Dr. Cynthia “Sam” Booth
Booth is the administrator for the Division of
Palliative Care within the Department of Medicine at the University of
Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York. Booth received her Ph.D. in
Higher Education Leadership from the University of North Dakota, her Master of
Science in Education degree from the University of Kansas and her Bachelor of
Science degree in Physical Education with an Athletic Training emphasis from
West Virginia University. Throughout Booth’s career she worked as an
athletic trainer, taught athletic training courses and served as a mentor to
many students for more than two decades. In 1999, she entered the
administrative side of the healthcare profession. As an athletic trainer, Booth
immersed herself professionally for many years at the state, district and
national levels of the athletic training profession. She was the first woman to
serve as the District IV Director on the National Athletic Trainers’ Association
Board of Directors. She was the NATA secretary/treasurer, chair and member of
the NATA Finance Committee. Additionally, she has presented on athletic training
topics at local, regional and national symposia. Booth has been inducted into
five Halls of Fame: the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame,
Minnesota State University Moorhead Athletic Hall of Fame, the Great Lakes
Athletic Trainers’ Association’s Golden Pinnacle Award (District Hall of Fame),
the Minnesota Athletic Trainers’ Hall of Fame and Oak Hill High School Athletic
Hall of Fame. A native of Oak Hill, she now resides in Spencerport, New York.
David “DC” Colt
Colt
earned his Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a minor in Athletic
Training from WVU. He completed his Master of Science in Health at Northwest
Missouri State University and his Ed.D. at the University of Missouri. Colt
played soccer on John McGrath’s teams from 1972-76. He was an assistant
athletic trainer for Temple University for three years prior to spending 27
years as the head athletic trainer for Northwest Missouri State University. He
was also an athletic trainer at the United States Air Force Academy from
2008-2012. Colt spent a career volunteering for various athletic training
organizations as well as the Board of Certification and the National Athletic
Trainers’ Association, serving on the Board of Directors and as vice president.
He is a member of five Halls of Fame including the NATA Hall of Fame and the
Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. He currently serves as the program director for
the Athletic Training program at the University of Missouri. His favorite WVU
memories involve soccer and football games in old Mountaineer Field. There,
with the Temple football team in 1979, he found out how loud was in the
visitor’s locker room up the tunnel with the band just outside the doors and
enthusiastic fans in the stands. It was a truly deafening experience.
Dr. John Gay
Gay earned his Bachelor’s degree from
State University of New York at Buffalo and then spent time with the United
States Navy as a Naval Aviator. He received his Master’s degree from San Diego
State University, his Doctorate from WVU, and finally a Post Doctorate from
John Hopkins University. Gay has established an impressive resume of
professional experience. He has worked as an assistant professor at Towson
University, associate professor at Louisiana State University, a professor and
chair of the Health and Exercise Sciences department at Central Michigan University
and dean of the University of Scranton. Gay has taken his professional
positions abroad as a professor and dean of Professional Studies at the
University of Newcastle in Australia and a professor and chair of the Health
Sciences department at the University of South Australia. He has tallied awards
along the way, having received the Mortar Board of Outstanding Teacher Award at
WVU, Top 10 Faculty at Towson University, Outstanding Teacher Award at Central
Michigan University and Centennial Award at the University of Scranton to
display his dedication to academia. Gay has published and served as a subject
matter expert for major text book publishers.
Dr. Daniel F. Mahony
Mahony is currently serving as the president of
Winthrop University. Before arriving at Winthrop in 2015, he served for seven
years as dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Services and a
professor of sport management at Kent State University. Mahony also spent 13
years as a faculty member and administrator at the University of Louisville
where his positions included sport administration program director, department
chair, associate dean, assistant provost and associate provost. Prior to his
faculty and administrative positions, Mahony worked for the KMPG accounting
firm and for the athletic departments at both West Virginia University and the
University of Cincinnati. He earned a B.S. in accounting from Virginia Tech, an
M.S. in sport management from West Virginia University and a Ph.D. in sport
management from Ohio State University. He is an active researcher and has
published more than 60 articles in various refereed journals, several book
chapters and one book. Mahony received the 2007 Earle F. Zeigler Award from the
North American Society for Sport Management for his research contributions to
the field and the 2015 McInnis/Ryan Award from the American Association of
University Administrators, which recognized his principled and ethical
leadership practices and scholarship regarding issues of justice and ethics. He
was the initial recipient of the top diversity award at his former college at
Kent State University in 2015 and this award is now named for him.
Olana “Tick” Hedrick-Sheaffer
As a
WVU graduate, Hedrick-Sheaffer’s educational background led her to Penn State
Altoona as a Physical Education (Kinesiology) teacher and coach. During her 35
years at this small college, she was selected for the Robert J. Scannell Roll
of Honor Award for outstanding service to the Commonwealth Educational System
as well as Omicron Delta Kappa National leadership honorary. Hedrick-Sheaffer’s
coaching career spanned 28 years guiding the Women's Varsity Volleyball program
on the Commonwealth Campus, Junior/Community College and finally Division Ill
level. Her teams amassed 13 Commonwealth Campus titles, eight Western
Pennsylvania titles, and eight Junior/Community College State Championship
titles which resulted in 11 Conference Coach of the Year awards.
Hedrick-Sheaffer’s varsity win-loss record is 505-175 with an additional four
Commonwealth Campus titles as head of the Men's Club Volleyball team. She also
became a nationally certified athletic trainer during the mid-point of her
tenure there. Ultimately, Hedrick-Sheaffer’s
goals for teaching and coaching were for her students to grow as people, have
fun and to develop life skills that would enable them to be successful in their
future professions. Her success was directly
related to the knowledge and encouragement that she received from her courses
and instructors respectively at WVU. Their dedication to teaching and their
concern for the well-being of their students gave her the motivation to follow
their example and continue their legacy.
-WVU-
kc/10/06/17
CONTACT: Kimberly
Cameon
Strategic Communications, College of
Physical Activity and Sport Sciences
304.293.0827; Kimberly.Cameon@mail.wvu.edu
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.